Subway may be known for its sandwiches, but there’s a lot more going on behind the scenes. From unexpected history to little-known facts, there are plenty of surprises hidden in this popular chain’s story. This article uncovers some of the most fascinating things about Subway that most customers have never heard before. After reading, you might just see your next footlong a little differently.
Note: The content of this article does not reflect the Writer's personal beliefs.
Subway likes fashion
You might have expected anything on the list, but fashion? That certainly strikes unusual, right?
It turns out that Subway not only likes fashion but has even hosted its fashion show. In 2013, Subway hosted a fashion show where designers were asked to theme dresses around Subway sandwiches and their ingredients. Some designers made clothes out of Subway wrappers, while others created onion-inspired dresses.
Larger than McDonald's
If someone asked you what food chain was the largest, you’d probably say McDonald's because there’s no other way, right?
Turns out Subway has more branches than McDonald's. Sure, the second eatery may be more popular in the U.S., but if we compare internationally, at one point, Subway easily trumped McDonald's with around 44000 branches across 110 countries. That’s quite an impressive feat.
Subway was sued
When we hear about food chains being sued, we probably think it was because some customers got sick from bad food, right? But not for Subway.
In 2013, Matt Corby, who was a teenager then, mocked Subway by complaining their 12-inch or Footlong sandwich was an 11-inch sandwich instead. His post prompted several customers to file a suit for being tricked, and Subway falsely advertising, but the lawsuit fell short.
A teen inventor
Many of us think a 17-year-old isn’t responsible enough, much less understand the world. But one teenager beat the odds by birthing your favorite sandwich chain.
That’s right; Subway is the brainbaby of Fred DeLuca, who was just 17 at the time. Fred hoped to earn enough to pay for medical school, so he borrowed a thousand dollars from a family friend, Peter Buck. However, the restaurant became quite popular, and he now co-owns Subway with Buck.
Subway can be halal
While most Subway chains offer a non-halal menu, some branches have introduced halal measures to accommodate Muslim customers.
Branches in the UK and Ireland even removed ham and bacon from their menus, substituting them with halal alternatives. Of course, not all branches did this since pork meat was still in demand. But when Subway moved to Muslim-populated areas like Pakistan and Malaysia, it removed all non-halal items and included a 100% halal menu.
Subway broke a record
Subway has consistently participated in world record-making events. In 2012, it became the world record holder for most people making a sandwich simultaneously.
In 2015, it broke the record again, although this time it was 1481 people instead of the previous 200 something. The record was broken in 2016, but Subway was a proud Guinness World Record holder for a whole year. Amazingly, all sandwiches made at the event were donated to the deserving.
Subway can be a diet
After hearing they are diet-friendly, we have often considered Subway’s salads and even subs, but we have never taken them seriously.
However, there’s one person who swears by Subway’s diet: Jared Fogle. The former Subway spokesperson lost 245 pounds during a time when he consistently snacked on Subway. Of course, he made a few customizations to his order, but he claims to have lost all that weight because of Subway.
Subway wasn’t Subway
You might be surprised to hear this, but Subway wasn’t Subway to begin with. Initially, it was called something quite different: Pete’s Drive-in: Super Submarines.
Well, if we remember, the idea was Pete Buck’s, so it makes sense. But we have to agree the name is quite a mouthful. The two weren’t planning on changing the name, but after it became popular, they renamed it three years after opening. Considering it’s still here, we say this was a smart decision on their end.
Subway has more calories
Although Subway assisted Fogle in losing weight, it isn’t a diet-safe option for people who are hoping to reduce calories.
This is because while Subway is diet-friendly, its subs have higher calories than food offered at other restaurant chains. For example, a classic Subway sub has about 200 more calories than a sandwich at McDonald's. But because Subway is open to customization, you can easily remove ingredients to match it.
Worst meat fillings
We apologize in advance to those of you who love to eat meatballs or roast beef subs from Subway because they’re the worst ingredients.
A former Subway employee revealed these two fillings are the worst and least hygienic because they’re sitting in that glass encasing for a long time. Since most customers go for the chicken or pure-veg options, the two meat fillings spend a lot of time simmering in the heat and inviting bacteria.
Subway was at the WTC
It’s odd to go up floors just to get to a Subway, right? But when the towers were still standing, Subway had a branch at the World Trade Center.
This wasn’t just an out-of-touch plan. Subway wanted to cater to hundreds of construction workers who were working in the area at the time and couldn’t have lunch because of slow elevators. So Subway made a mobile sandwich shop that was uplifted to the construction workers.
Subway had yoga mat ingredients
Lastly, as good as Subway is, it has a dark secret: it shared ingredients with yoga mats. Gross right? Well, kind of.
Subway sandwiches contained azodicarbonamide, a chemical that is typically used in leather and rubber products. Although this chemical is FDA-approved, when customers found out, they rightfully blew up. After months of listening to the complaints, Subway gradually removed the ingredients in 2014.
Insane Quantity
Subway restaurants make about 5,300 sandwiches every minute. That is about 7.6 million subs every single day. This is an insane amount of sandwiches! We have a hard time making even just one sandwich at home. But Subway is the expert, after all.
Acres of Lettuce
Think about all those subs, and then try to figure out how much lettuce would be needed to make them all. It is an impossible amount! Subway uses about 16 acres of lettuce per day, which is the same as about 12 football fields. Luckily, lettuce grows quickly, so growers are able to replenish the supply constantly.
$5 Footlong Controversy
Subway became pretty famous for its $5 Footlong sandwiches. The deal was known nationwide and was one of the company's best marketing promotions ever. Subway had to stop selling their footlong sandwiches for just $5 as ingredient prices and minimum wage laws changed. The $5 Footlong went away, and people were pretty upset.
Largest Chain
As of now, Subway is the largest single-brand restaurant chain in the world. This is quite an accomplishment for a little sandwich shop! We would love to watch the restaurant over the next few years to see if it can hold this long-standing title.
This article was first published at Spatula Desserts.
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